Wednesday, March 05, 2008

"Let's be clear, they're not just pint-sized cakes. Cupcakes are something else entirely. At Sprinkles Cupcakes, with over tantalizing flavors to satisfy the sweet tooth, we get it right. Baked fresh in small batches throughout the day, Sprinkles cupcakes are handcrafted from the Finest Ingredients, including sweet cream butter, bittersweet Belgian chocolate, pure Madagascar Bourbon vanilla, fresh bananas and carrots, real strawberries and natural citrus zests. Topped with Sprinkles trademark modern dots, rich chocolate sprinkles from France or seasonal sugar decorations, Sprinkles cupcakes are a deliciously sophisticated update on an American classic. " (www.sprinklescupcakes.com)

The best pasalubong from anyone who is coming from LA is the Hollywood's famous Sprinkles Cupcakes. It is so far the best cupcake I've ever tasted. They bake it fresh on that day itself using fresh ingredients with a satisfying icing that is not too sweet just right. The cake is soft like a sponge and crumbles when you bite it. No wonder, this cupcake bakeshop was copied here in Manila. Do you recognize the similarity with the box design and font?

Just look at Aidan's face when I gave him his surprise pasalubong.... I got pogi points from my wife because of the cupcakes :) Sprinkles is located along South Santa Monica boulevard and it is already near the LAX airport. The cupcakes taste great for a day or two and they put it in a nice recycled box with elegant recycled fork and knife.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

LA is crazy about the Diddy Riese cookies and you can see the long lines above to prove it.

I love Diddy Riese cookies because they are fresh, crunchy in the outside but soft / chewy in the inside. The bestsellers is the Cookie Sandwiches where you can select any two flavor of cookies and a choice of Dryer's ice cream. Diddy Riese is 2x better than Mrs. Fields (yes, that is how good these cookies are). I do hope somebody franchises it in the Philippines.

Friday, April 07, 2006

I still can remember a couple of years ago when eating a carbo-loaded krispy kreme donut is a cool thing when you visit the US. Now, that's a thing of the past, and Porto's bakery is a better alternative. Its famous cheese roll is a must try along with the other cakes and other pastry delicacies. The cheese roll taste like Otap baked to perfection with cheese inside it, similar in texture to a croissant. It's super addicting and I easily ate 5 pieces in one sitting. Porto's Bakery is a cuban family-owned and operated business that has served Glendale and its surrounding areas for over 35 years and they recently opened a beautiful new store in Burbank.

One could argue that Becky's or Conti's taste a lot better, but the I've never tasted a cheeseroll as delicious as porto's. If you can manage to bring one home as a pasalubong, it is highly recommended.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

This is one of the famous must-eat destination in LA, and I was extremely curious why a chili dog can be this famous for 66 years! Paul Pink started this hotdog stand in 1939 and it stood on the same spot, giving the same quality of hot dog for years. I'm glad that Atty. Joseph Joson who was kind enough to accompany me to eat in this so-called hot dog to the stars. The hot dog heritage is a great marketing sell and they have photos to prove it (amazing)! I'm not really fond of hotdogs and I'm eating a vegetable rich diet lately, but this one is a must try (not to mention my weakness is chili). In the Philippines, we don't really have something equivalent to this and Ogie Doggie would be the closest but far from the heritage that Pink's hotdog built over the years.

The verdict: The chili is phenomenal, polish dogs are the best! Read on...